The Coming Conquest of England eBook

The blood from a deep wound on his forehead was pouring
over his face, and Heideck saw that only by the greatest
exertion of will could he keep himself on his legs.
He wanted to reply, but the Colonel had already again
hurled himself into the tangled throng of fighters,
and a few seconds later fell under the butt-end blows
and sabres of the Russians.

Then Hermann Heideck turned his horse and galloped
off.

XIV

IN THE PANIC-STRICKEN CITY

As on his ride to Colonel Baird’s brigade, so
also was Heideck on his return threatened by manifold
forms of death. Although he successfully and
happily avoided all compact bodies of troops on his
way across the bloody battlefield, yet single Russian
horsemen came up close to him and more than once he
heard the shrill whistle of bullets as they whizzed
past his head. But in the battle-fever that had
seized him he had no thought of danger: all his
thoughts were solely occupied with the question as
to how he should contrive to arrive at Lahore, in order
to fulfil the last request of the Colonel.

Bleeding from several wounds, his brave stallion put
forth his utmost efforts to carry his rider safely
away from the turmoil of battle. The wounded
animal was still able to travel a considerable distance
at full gallop. But suddenly he began to slacken
his pace and to stumble, and Heideck perceived that
his strength was exhausted. He dismounted in
order to examine the injuries the horse had sustained,
and at once perceived that he could not expect further
exertion from the poor brute. In addition to
a bayonet-thrust on the neck, it had also a bullet-hole
on the left hind flank, and it was from this wound
that the blood was principally streaming. In
stertorous panting the poor beast laid his head on
his master’s shoulder, and Heideck stroked and
patted his forehead. “Poor chap—­you
have done your duty, and I must leave you here behind.”
And now, for the first time, the anxious dread overcame
him that he, too, would not escape with his life from
this battlefield, for he perceived a horseman in Indian
uniform approaching him, waving a sword. Heideck
drew his revolver from his belt in order to protect
himself against his assailant. But he immediately
recognised in his supposed enemy his faithful boy,
Morar Gopal, who beamed with joy at having by chance
again found his master, whom he had believed to be
dead. He wanted at once to leave Heideck his horse,
and to attempt to make his own way on foot. But
the German officer would not accept this unselfish
sacrifice on the part of his servant; but he was relieved
of the necessity of again separating from his faithful
henchman by the fortuitous circumstance that, at that
very moment, an English officer’s riderless
charger came in sight. The animal, a beautiful
chestnut, was uninjured, and allowed itself to be
caught without trouble. They were now in a position